The Barriers That Keep Us Apart
by HeroesWearRed
Summary: Based on the events in 2.10 Sweet Dreams. Who does Arthur truly love?


A/N: This is written around the events of episode 2.10 Sweet Dreams. I don't own Merlin, no copyright intended. This is meant for entertainment purposes only.

Merlin read over the note again and again. It was what he would want Arthur to receive from him but instead he is delivering it 'from' Arthur to Guinevere. The irony is almost too much to bear; actually it was. Merlin just set the note on the table with the bouquet of flowers before he quickly made his exit.

As Merlin returned to the castle Arthur was quite literally on the edge of his seat for the news of the Lady's reception of the gifts.

"Did she get it?" Arthur asked, voice filled with anxious excitement. Merlin wished Arthur spoke of him in such a tone instead of the berating one often directed towards him.

"I left it in her room. I thought that better than a public display." Merlin answered quickly, almost cut off by Arthurs response.

"You sure she got them?"

"I'm sure she will get them." Merlin promised. How could a girl miss flowers sitting on the dining table in the middle of her house?

"Good, now all we can do is wait." Arthur said, before turning his head to look forward, only to see the object of his affection. His eyes brightened even further, if that was even possible. "She's even more beautiful than before, don't you agree?"

Merlin felt his face drop as he responded less than enthusiastically, "Yeah… I'm surprised to hear you talk so openly." Everyone knew that any sort of relation between a prince and a servant was more than frowned upon.

"Nonsense." Arthur responded without missing a beat. "I want to tell the world! I want to- to shout it across the kingdom!"

Sensing the lack of sanity in the prince's shouting it across the kingdom plan Merlin spoke up, "Are you sure that's really the best idea?" Arthur's smile faltered slightly and Merlin quickly continued, "I understand your feelings, but other people may object."

"Object? To what?" Arthur inquired, proving to Merlin he'd truly lost his mind.

"You're the future king of Camelot and she's a serving girl, albeit a very nice serving girl." Merlin explained, tensing in preparation for the backlash. And Merlin was right to tense. A slap quickly hit him in the cheek as Arthur retorted, a finger in Merlin's face, "Lady Vivian is of royal blood, a future queen. I will have your head if I hear such insolence again."

Arthur walked off, leaving Merlin in shock. Lady Vivian was the girl causing Arthur to swoon? Only yesterday had Arthur described his absolute disgust in Vivian's demeanor. Something was off. Something was very off. And everything was about to get much worse since he had delivered to the wrong person.

After that moment everything got much, much worse. Arthur's initial attempt to woo Vivian went horribly, much to Merlin's relief, but the next day everything changed. Suddenly Vivian was all on board with the whole "I love Arthur, Arthur loves me" thing and Merlin's job switched from babysitting one royal to babysitting two. He knew the jester was behind it, but of course there was little he could do to prove it without revealing himself. He was stuck. No potions had worked; no enchantments or spells did anything to lessen the pull. Luckily enough nothing had turned Arthur into a frog; though, on second thought, that might make the whole thing a bit easier.

Guinevere was a whole other story. She was distraught over Arthur's sudden change of heart towards her and Merlin knew once the spell was broken he would be stuck fixing that relationship too. Merlin still couldn't stand the irony of being Arthur's wingman when he wanted to be Arthur's man, but he was a servant, a sorcerer, a useless idiot, the prince would never go for him even in the direst of circumstances and Merlin had to convince himself of that.

Everything changed when Merlin slipped up and Arthur and Vivian were caught and Vivian's father threw the gauntlet. Of course Arthur picked it up, meaning there was to be a fight to the death. Merlin knew Arthur was in no state to be in such a duel, he would lose his head if it wasn't attached to his neck… which probably wasn't the best analogy, Merlin thought, considering the likelihood of that result.

Merlin left almost immediately after the staff portion of the tourney. He took Gaius's advice to heart. If there was any chance for the prince to keep his life Merlin needed to go talk to the dragon immediately. Hopefully the dragon would have some good advice and wouldn't do the cryptic prophecy message normally aimed toward Merlin. He held the torch up as the dragon laughed, _laughed_ at the situation.

"This is magic indeed," The dragon said between short spurts of laughter.

"Everything I have tried has failed." Merlin told, a pleading sense to his tone. If the dragon didn't know how to help Merlin didn't know what would happen.

"From what you tell me, the spell has captured his heart." The dragon stated the obvious.

"And his heart is controlling his brain." Merlin hoped to move along the conversation, the urgency in his voice rising.

"There is no magic that can break this enchantment."

"There must be." Merlin spoke nearly before the dragon had finished.

"It has too great a hold." The dragon's voice was level, obviously knowing something he was not letting on.

"I cannot let Arthur die!" Merlin did interrupt the dragon this time.

"Patience, young warlock." The dragon chastised and Merlin lowered his head, allowing the dragon to continue uninterrupted. "The solution lies in a force greater than you or I can understand." Merlin had to swallow his urge to speak out against the cryptic messages he despised, but he let the dragon continue. "A force that has puzzled many minds."

"Please," Merlin begged, "I have very little time!"

"A force," The dragon continued his soliloquy after Merlin's interjecting of "Just tell me!", "Why, it is the greatest force of all. Love."

"Love." Merlin repeated in utter disbelief.

"You must find the person that Arthur truly loves." The dragon said.

"And then what?"

"One kiss from them, will break the enchantment. And he will desire Vivian no more."

And with that Merlin did not hesitate to go find Gwen. She was in her home and it took a great deal of cajoling and convincing to get Guinevere to attempt to save Arthur. It pained Merlin to convince Arthur loved another. It almost felt as though he was stabbing his own heart with every word of Arthur's love towards Gwen.

They got there just in time, between the mace and sword portion of the tourney. Merlin kept his distance as Gwen went to break the enchantment, hardly able to bear to watch the scene though he knew he must. If for some reason this failed Merlin would have to react immediately, find some way to convince Vivian's father not to kill the once and future king.

Merlin peaked through the curtains to catch Gwen kissing Arthur. He couldn't bear to watch but he couldn't look away. After a moment Arthur pushed Gwen away much to Merlin's surprise.

"What on earth do you think you're doing?!" Arthur shouted at her. Gwen stuttered a quick apology and made a run for the tent's exit, glaring at Merlin on the way out. Just then Arthur noticed the peeping Merlin. "What could have come over her? I mean honestly! Here I am fighting for my love for another woman and-." Merlin cut Arthur off mid-sentence, his lips crashing into the prince's.

He didn't know what had come over him. This was insane, but yet he kept his lips on Arthur's and, after a moment, Arthur began to kiss back. The prince's lips soften, melding with Merlin's as the kiss deepened, Arthur wrapping his hands around Merlin's tiny waist, pulling the boy closer. It only lasted a moment, but it felt as if it lasted forever, as if time had stopped to allow them their moment in peace.

Merlin pulled away, eyes connecting with Arthur's for a moment before quickly turning away. "Sorry, sire." He mumbled, reality yet to hit him.

Arthur's face contorted in confusion, then in pain. "What…? What's going on?"

Merlin was conflicted whether he was pleased or insulted that the question didn't seem directed toward the kiss. "You're in a fight." Arthur raised his eyebrow. "To the death." Arthur's eyebrow all but disappeared behind his hairline. "Someone cast an enchantment on you making you and lady Vivian fall in love and the only way I could find to break the enchantment was to find someone you truly loved and I thought that would be Gwen but it wasn't apparently it was me." He just told Arthur everything, well almost everything. More than enough. Even Merlin's thoughts were rambling now.

With perfect timing some squire popped his head in informing Arthur he needed to return to the tourney immediately. Arthur nodded and dismissed the man, but didn't exit immediately.

"When I get back I guess we have some… stuff to talk about." Arthur told Merlin before giving Merlin a quick kiss on the forehead and exiting to win the tournament.

Merlin followed, star struck, to watch the prince, his prince, return to the fight, reality finally setting in. He'd kissed the prince and broken the enchantment, meaning that Arthur truly loved him. And Arthur didn't seem totally off put to the idea. Merlin let his thoughts wander for the rest of the tourney. This was a good day.


End file.
